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Find out more about SSE

SSE’s purpose is to responsibly provide the energy and related services needed now and in the future. It aims to be a leading provider of energy and related services in a low-carbon world. Its strategy is to create value for shareholders and society from developing, owning and operating energy and related infrastructure and services in a sustainable way. These are the four pillars of the SSE strategy. Delivery of this strategy is dependent on the shared talent, skills and values of people throughout SSE.

At a glance

Creating value for shareholders and society

SSE’s vision is to be a leading energy provider in a low-carbon world. To achieve this we have set four fundamental goals for 2030 which put sustainability at heart of SSE’s business strategy. These goals aren’t just important to SSE, they matter to everyone – that’s why they are directly linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Find out more about how we are building a better world of energy for the future in this section of the website.

At a glance

Investing in Communities

SSE is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work. We understand we must contribute positively to this society by being an active contributor to the communities that we are part of.

This section of our website provides examples and case studies of how we serve the communities we operate in.

At a glance

Our strategy

SSE's strategy is to deliver the efficient operation of, and investment in, a balanced range of economically-regulated and market-based businesses in energy production, storage, transmission, distribution, supply and related services in the energy markets in Great Britain and Ireland.

Potential suppliers

SSE is one of the UK's biggest companies with a supply chain value of over £2bn.

With safety, sustainability and responsibility at the heart of all we do, we're keen to establish strong relationships with our suppliers because we know how critical they are to our business.

We want to build and develop our supplier network and welcome any new engagement from suppliers who share our core values. Our simple step approach to working together incorporates the key engagement steps with our Suppliers - Registration, Tender Management & Contract Engagement.

The first step in building a relationship with us, irrespective of which part of SSE you wish to work for, is to register using our Supplier Registration System which is hosted by Achilles Information Limited. For requirements that are subject to EU Procurement regulations, suppliers will be selected from Achilles UVDB in the United Kingdom or Achilles Supplyline in Republic of Ireland as this ensures your able to work with and support our teams safely and responsibly.

Our path to working together

Whilst our primary supplier selection process will utilise Achilles, for requirements that are subject to the EU procurement rules, Tender events will be published via OJEC/OJEU and suppliers will be able to participate directly and the procurement team leading the event will be able to advise and support you in joining the event via Emptoris.

For the second and third key steps we have introduced the Emptoris system to manage & facilitate our core sourcing process. Emptoris is an online, cloud based solution which enables our procurement teams to create tender events, invite suppliers to participate and manage contract negotiation and award. We will be introducing Emptoris across SSE through the beginning of 2017 and we have provided further information on how to use and access the system in the dedicated section of this page.

Energy and Utility Skills Accord

SSE encourages its suppliers to become signatories of the Energy and Utility Skills Accord. The Skills Accord is designed to promote and lock-in sustained investment in the technical and operational skills the sector needs most via procurement practices. Signatories gain recognition for their strategic commitment to investing in employee skills development. See http://euskills.co.uk/skills-accord for more details.

If the goods, works or services you wish to supply to SSE are subject to EU Procurement rules, you should also register on Achilles UVDB (UK) or Supplyline (ROI) which utilises questionnaires to determine a number of regulatory, safety and legal requirements.Click here for more information on Achilles

Open4Business

SSE is committed to maximising the benefits and opportunities for local businesses and communities across the areas in which we operate and wish to promote local procurement where possible.

The Open4Business web portal allows us to provide visibility, regional and project specific business opportunities across the North of Scotland.

The portal creates a platform for us and our key contractors to post contract opportunities and increases visibility of our procurement process. Local suppliers can view and register for opportunities as a supplier and respond to notices free of charge.

Responsible procurement charter

Our Responsible Procurement Charter presents some basic principles for working with SSE.

To ensure that SSE’s business is conducted ethically, sustainably and within the law, SSE expects its suppliers to meet the principles outlined in this Charter. This means as a minimum complying with local laws and regulations and respecting internationally recognised human and labour rights, however the values of fairness and respect are equally important to SSE.

SSE is committed to the Prompt Payment Code and the fair treatment of all our suppliers and we are constantly looking to pay our suppliers on time and to ensure that any queries or issues are managed effectively.

Invoice GuidanceTo help us deliver on those commitments, we ask all our suppliers to work directly with our centralised Accounts Payable team and follow the guidelines provided below;

All Invoices must be sent to the relevant Accounts Payable team detailed below; Invoices sent to business teams will be returned

Invoices must be an individual PDF – One Invoice per PDF File to enable fast processing through our systems

Emails must include “Invoice” in the email subject

Invoices without a Purchase Order Number will be returned to suppliers with advice on resolving the issue

By following the guidelines above, invoices sent to the AP teams will be entered onto our systems within 5 working days.

You can use the table below to identify who to contact regarding an invoice. To use the table, select the line with the Purchase Order format that matches the Purchase Order on the invoice and click on the link at the far right hand side of the line. You will then be taken to a page that explains who to contact if you have a query and how to escalate if you have an issue with an invoice.

If you do not have a Purchase Order, or the Purchase Order that you have is not in any of these formats please obtain the correct Purchase Order number from the person that ordered the goods or services before contacting Accounts Payable. (Accounts Payable cannot assist unless a valid Purchase order is quoted).

Invoice QueriesAny invoice questions or queries can be directed to the Email addresses listed above, quoting “query” and suitable reference in the email subject to ensure your query can be managed efficiently by the relevant Accounts Payable team.

Emptoris is being adopted across SSE for all tender events run by our Procurement teams. Our Procurement teams will be using the Online system provided by IBM to create and manage our Tender events from initial invitations through to finalising and awarding the contracts.

We would recommend visiting the Knowledge Centre links below to find more information on the system and its use.

Via these links you can access and watch video tutorials which guide you in using the system and participating in Tender events. Invitations to Tender events will be sent directly to all suppliers from the Emptoris system and will start the tender process with you and there are some key points to remember;

Accept or decline invitations to RFx(s) (Requests for quotations, proposals or information)

Respond to RFx questionnaires

Bid on individual items in an RFx

Make bespoke bids to suit your business approach (bundling, price breaks and discounting)

Have visibility (once invited to register) of all tenders, and contracts that you have or are participating in

SSE aim to prevent environmental damage and at all times comply with legislative and regulatory requirements. Furthermore, SSE will actively seek to develop positive environmental impacts as a responsible energy operator, develop and supplier.

We expect our suppliers and encourage their supply chain to measure, manage and reduce their carbon footprint. Furthermore, we expect our suppliers to report greenhouse gas emissions performance using internationally recognised greenhouse gas reporting frameworks (such as GHG Protocol and the UK Government’s environmental reporting guidelines) and standards in mainstream company reports and get data externally verified to standards (such as ISO14064 and ISAE2000) by credible accredited third parties.